Lake Maggiore? More Like Lake Magic, Amirite?

 After viewing The Last Supper, we were able to get out of Milan without make illegal turns, driving on the wrong side of the road, driving on tram-only routes, or any other such nonsense.

We head north to Stresa, which is on the west side of Lake Maggiore, approximately half way up.  

(Editor: I feel a disturbance in the Force.  Oh, I get it, there are puns in our future, aren’t there?  Blogger: Hmm. . .I hadn’t thought of it till you just mentioned it!  Editor: Liar, you’ve been planning this!)

It was pretty easy to get to the hotel. . .you might say it was a low Stresa drive! (Editor: There's one!) 

We got to our hotel, the Villa & Palazzo Aminta, around six o’clock, and we were pretty wiped out (me especially).  Checking in, we were able to shift dinner from a restaurant downtown to the hotel’s restaurant.  The last thing we wanted to do was to rush to get ready.  

The suite we had booked (using our club, Inspirato – otherwise a five night stay would have required a loan, and at these interest rates, who can afford that?) has a small balcony with stunning views of the lake.  There is also a small sitting room upstairs (we are on the 4th floor – there is no 5th floor).

The lake is famous for the three Borromeo islands, and they are all right out on the lake in front of us.  The lake is 41 miles long, and we are lucky enough to have the islands right out our balcony.  There are also mountains visible all around the lake, including some further off Italian and Swiss Alps.  Pretty incredible setting. 

Isole Bella -- the most important

 of the three islands.

Isole dei Pescatori -- the only inhabited

of the islands.  A fishing village, we

never made it to this one.

Despite the haze, we had good views

of the jagged Alps from our balcony.

Clock tower on Pescatori,

shot from our balcony.

Some of the town of Bavena,

to the north of our hotel.  

I’m writing this while waiting at Milan’s Malpensa Airport to fly to Amsterdam.  The Italian portion of our trip is over (which tells you how far behind I am on the blog!), so I can put the Villa/Lake Maggiore in perspective.  We didn’t sit out on the balcony every night, but we did go out most early evenings/nights to have a drink and be amazed by the timeless views.

It’s like no place we have ever stayed.  We’ve stayed in some very nice places, but the hotel and area is timeless elegence.  I kept expecting to see Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at the table next to us, or Cary Grant and Sophia Loren drive by in a convertible.  

Oh, don’t worry about me.  There were no sudden displays of luxury and taste from me.  But, more than I expected, I enjoyed the no Stresa there (Editor: there's two!).  I suppose aging does that to a person.